Gov Lalong debunks reports of Plateau allocating cattle colonies

The
Plateau State Governor Simon Lalong has debunked a report trending in the state
that his government had ceded parts of Riyom, Barkinladi and Bokkos local
government areas of the state for the establishment of cattle colonies.

The
rumour created tension especially in the affected local government areas.

A former
governor of the state, who is also the senator for the Plateau North District,
Jonah Jang, had earlier in a press statement vowed not to allow any land in his
constituency to be donated for the establishment of cattle colonies.

But in a
press statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Dan Manjang,
Governor Lalong said there was no substance to the report.

The
statement reads:

“The
attention of the Executive Governor of Plateau State, Rt. Hon. Simon Bako
Lalong has been drawn to the news making the rounds, particularly in the Social
Media that “parts of Riyom, Barkin Ladi and Bokkos Local Government Areas have
been carved out for the creation of colonies for cattle, in fulfilment of his
promises to the Fulani who have pressured him, to either cede those areas or he
faces the other side of their viciousness which may cost his aspirations”.

“The
Governor herein after state unequivocally that this thinking is not only the
figment of the imagination of its authors, who want to make political capital
out of it, but false, malicious and highly mischievous.

“Governor
Simon Bako Lalong has and does not contemplate such action and he further call
on all good citizens of Plateau to bury such imagination of these elements bent
on throwing the State into confusion. Cattle colonies are not in the
imagination of Governor Lalong.

“Consequently,
the Governor urge all peace loving citizens of Plateau State to discountenance
such mischievous information but to gravitate towards issues that unite us
rather than those that divide us.”

Mr.
Lalong had previously in public expressed support for the plan by the federal
government to establish cattle ranches with a view to addressing the rampant
deadly clashes between herders and farmers across Nigeria.

On
January 13 in Abuja, he told State House correspondents that he had asked for
briefing by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture on the cattle colony proposal.